The Hunger Games From Peeta Mellarks View
by Hungergamesbecky
Summary: The Hunger Games told from Peeta's point of view.
1. Chapter 1

The Hunger Games – From Peeta Mellark's point of view.

Chapter 1

Some nightmares don't end upon waking.

It's just beginning to get bright outside when I wake. A small trickle of light falls across the floor in front of me. That dream again, why that dream. I think. It's always the same no matter what I do. Always about losing someone, losing her. Looking around the room I see that I am the only one awake, both my brothers are asleep, dead to the world and I realize why today the nightmare won't go away, why it will haunt me today all day. Today is the reaping. I don't fear for myself though, I fear for her. For the only girl that I love,

Katniss Everdeen.

Pulling back the covers that lie over me I put my feet on the ground, feeling the dry hard wood of the floor and stand up. "Might as well get up seeing as your awake I tell myself." It's no good though, there is no where I could go and even if I did nothing to do.

Walking out the room and down the small dark staircase that smells of bread and cooking into the bakery that is my families, I think about what could happen today, how she could get reaped and all the ways that she could die in the arena. The thought fills me with such sadness that I push it from my mind, trying desperately to think of something else. It's no good though. I can't. Opening the door to the back yard I take a deep breath of air, smelling the scent of apple from the tree and the thick dust that hangs in the air from the coal mines.

District 12 – where I live – is a coal mining District. The 12 districts of Panem ruled by The Capitol all do something for it. I am not sure what the others do as we are never told at school, and maybe the teachers don't know themselves anyway.

I take another breath, trying to calm the emotions that are going crazy inside my head. Spinning round and round like they are having a race. "Relax" I tell myself "she will be fine; nothing will happen she won't get picked". Though I know this is not true. She has a higher chance than anyone.

Walking out the back yard I turn and head to the meadow, I don't know why I head there, maybe to get away from the thick air that surrounds me, though I know this is basically impossible. I am just placing me feet on to the meadow when I see her. Katniss. Coming out of her home, a small dark dirty looking place, but I only see her, looking about her and then head in my direction. She hasn't seen me. She is heading for the woods this I know everyone does, but I turn around and head home anyway feeling like I am somehow intruding on her space and have to right to be there at all.

My mind still reeling from Katniss I almost miss the other figure entering the woods. The shape of a man, tall and thin carrying something in his hands. I don't have to look any harder than a glace to know that it will be Gale, going to meet her. Jealous of him not because he can hunt, but because he gets to spend time with her. It's crazy. Jealous of someone I don't know. Stupid Peeta I think. Grow up. I shake my head and carry on walking trying once again to rid it of emotions as I head home, but no matter what I do they won't go away.

The door is still open when I get back. I walk in expecting to find my mother and for her to start shouting at me for disappearing but only find my father. He is sitting at the small table his head in his hands, turned towards the squirrel that has been placed on it.

"Did Gale trade with you?" I ask, knowing it was him. My father nods and that is the end of the conversation. I start to pull out the bread that is in the oven taking care not to drop it in the fire. "What did you give him" I ask, "Loaf of bread" my father replies "for him and the girl" I nod thinking that was kind of him to consider both of them. Putting more bread in the oven to bake I close the door behind me. Taking the still warm loafs I had just taken out I put them in another small room of to the side to cool completely before opening time. Then I walk to the table and pluck the squirrel off it "It will need skinned" is all I say as I go back outside taking the dead squirrel with me.

Once the squirrel is skinned and cooked, the rest of my family is up. We eat the stale bread from yesterday and share out the squirrel never saying where it came from. No need we all know just to bring it up would be like death in this house. Especially with my mother. We then busy ourselves with the bakery until it is time to go.

The reaping. What every child who is turning twelve this year will be dreading and everyone else up to the age of eighteen will be trying to forget. One boy and one girl form the ages 12 to 18 will be picked today, may they be Seam or Town kids I can't say all I know is, is that they will be in The Hunger Games and they will most likely never come home to their friends or family's waiting for them here.

The square is filling up fast when we arrive. I peel away from my mother, father and oldest brother - too old for the reaping - and go stand with other boys who are sixteen. We don't say anything to each other, just glace each other's way they look back at the stage. Effi Trinket – the lady who reads the names- is talking to Mayor Undersee.

It is about to start.

Just before Effi gets up I catch I sight of Katniss talking to her little sister Primrose. It's her first year and she looks terrified. Katniss is trying to sooth her and tell her it will be alright. I see them leave each other and go and stand in the designated areas for their age. Looking back towards the stage I see that Haymitch has arrived. He is the only living victor that District 12 has. I have only seen a couple of times in the market and then every year at the reaping of course but I don't pay much attention to him anyway. He is drunk but that's no surprise he is always drunk and hollers and staggers about the stage – tries to give Effi a hug – and finally falling into the chair that is there for him.

Effi gets the ball running by starting some silly little speech about how happy she is to be here. Even though we all know she hates it and heads to the girls ball saying in her silly high accent,

"Lady's first" like she does every year. Plunging her hand into the ball she grabs a slip of paper from it and heads back to the middle of the stage. The name that she calls is not Katniss. I am relieved until I realize, that although it wasn't her, she will go, because the name was her sisters.

Primrose Everdeen.


	2. Chapter 2

The Hunger Games – From Peeta Mellark's point of view.

Chapter 2

I feel like my heart has stopped.

She is going into the arena, she is going. I know this because Katniss will do anything she can to protect her sister from harm so of course she will take her place.

I see Primrose mount the stage and there is Katniss standing in front of her shouting "I volunteer, I volunteer as tribute". Primrose is screaming but she ignores her, Gale is there taking Primrose in his arms and lifting her away. As Katniss mounts the stage I see that she is trying hard not to cry and to look dignified about what she just did.

Just then Haymitch decides he is going to say something. He gets up fumbles around for a minute and then says something about her having "spunk" he then goes of ranting pointing at the camera and falls head first of the stage. People start laughing but I am still too stunned that Katniss is going into the arena and that she might not come home to her family, friends, me I think. Then brush that aside. She doesn't know who you are, I think, You are a nobody to her. Remember that.

Effi is talking again saying to the crowd something about Katniss and then saying to give her a round of applause. No one does. No one moves a muscle; instead we all put the three fingers on our left hand to our lips and hold it out to her. We are saying that we will miss her that we are truly sorry she has to go. Katniss looks on the verge of tears again and just stares into the distance but I know she can see us. Effi then with one hand on her wig – to keep it on from where Haymitch tried to hug her - heads to the boys ball and takes another name and goes to the middle. In no time she is reading the name.

Peeta Mellark

Someone shoves me in the back, not hard but more like nudging me to walk forwards. I am too stunned to move but make my feet go forwards one step at a time until they are moving with bigger steps. It takes no time at all for me to reach the stage. I mount the steps, knowing that the fear must be showing in my face but make hardly any attempt to hind it from view. Katniss is looking at me and I know that she recognises me from an incident that happened years ago. Effi asks for volunteers but no one comes forwards. I didn't expect them to, not much of a surprise there.

The Major starts his speech, saying thanks to the tributes and other stuff but I never really listen. Katniss has turned away from my face but I know that she is remembering what happened that day. Same as I am now.

It was raining; I was helping my mother with the bread making. My father was out getting some more flour as we were running low and I can't remember where my brothers where. I remember that I had just turned twelve and was going to have to enter the reaping that year. My mother was out the room when I heard the noise. It was a rattling from the back yard. "Oh no" I thought "It will be one of the Seam kids" they looked through the trash trying to see if they could find something to eat so they didn't die of hunger like so many of them did. My mother came running back in and stomped to the door saying she was going to call the Peacekeepers on the person if they didn't clear off. Then I saw her. The girl who sang on the first day of school, the girl whose father had just died in the mines, the girl who was so thin that the bones on her face stuck out if you looked closely. It was the girl I had always been in love with, and she was dying. While my mother back was tuned, still shouting at the girl. I dropped the bread in the open flame knowing it would burn them enough that we couldn't sell them but not enough that they wouldn't be edible. Turning around my mother saw what I had done. Raising her hand she hit me hard across the face. I took the blow without complain just a small sound of pain crossing my lips.

"Feed it to the pigs. No one decent will buy that now" she shouted before going out the room. Going to the door which was ajar I stepped out into the rain that was pouring down making a blanket of grey between me and the girl. She had slumped down by the apple tree, but was on her feet when she saw me there, looking at me with such fear and pain but also anger like I was going to chase her away. Pretending to ignore her I pulled some of the burnt stuff of, looking over my shoulder to make sure that my mother wasn't in sight I threw one then the other loaf of bread to her. She looked at them then stuffed them up her shirt and was gone. Running into the grey curtain of rain that was getting heaver the longer the day got. I went back inside feeling better than I had any right to be. Knowing that I had done the right thing, and that maybe she would stay alive, with my help. It wasn't till the next day that I found out her name and where she lived. Katniss Everdeen. The girl from the Seam who took my heart from the moment I saw her.

I start, realising that the Major has finished talking and I have to shake Katniss's hand. I take it knowing that soon we will be trying to kill each other. I vow now that I will do everything I can to get her home ,will do everything in my power even if it means revelling one of my biggest secrets to the whole nation of Panem. It will be worth it if she could get the chance to go home.


	3. Chapter 3

The Hunger Games – From Peeta Mellark's point of view.

Chapter 3

The Peacekeepers are there the moment the anthem ends. Taking us to the Justice Building.

This is where we say goodbye to our family and loved ones, who hope that we will come home to them. The place they will never be able to look at again for as long as they live.

I sit on the couch waiting for my family, knowing that they will be here. I think about all the things that I will never get the chance to do, all those moments I will miss because of The Hunger Games, my thoughts are interrupted though by the arrival of my mother and brothers, my father is nowhere to be seen but I shake the thought away. Make the most of it I tell myself. This is your last chance to see them. Both my brothers hug me tight marking the first and only time we have ever done that. They both say how sorry they are and that they hope I will come home. Maybe they will miss me more than I thought; the thought makes me more sad than I thought it would. Then my mother is hugging me with no anger or disappointment in her voice when she cries that she will miss me and that she wants me to come home to her. Then she says something that confuses me at first,

"Maybe this year District 12 will have a winner"

They have to leave now. I puzzle over the words until I realize she is not talking about me. She meant Katniss. Well mother you might be right I think with a touch of bitterness to the thought. All the anger that I feel towards my mother hits me then, hard. Everything that I resent her for and I hate her. Hate her for saying it even though I know it to be true.

My father comes in then. He says that he is sorry, he says other things but the only thing registers is that he is going to see Katniss as well and that he is sorry about everything that happened today and that he is proud of me. I nod in assessment of what he is saying tears filling my eyes as he gives me a final hug, pulling me close like he did when I was younger and saying he loves me, planting a kiss on my head he get up says goodbye and is gone.

I have no more visitors, no one else to say goodbye to. I sit there not trying to stop the tears that are flowing down my checks, the room blurs and goes out of focus while I cry, trying to stop the emotions to wall them upside my head like I always do. But this time they are to painful to shut away.

The Peacekeepers are there now. They take me out the room and down the dank elevator to the ground floor and into a car that had been parked out front. Getting in I think about how this will be the first and last time I will ever be in one of these. I am too sad to enjoy the ride though. Getting out at the train station there are more cameras and people asking questions shouting to be heard over the din they are all making. I ignore them just keep my head down and walk towards the train. Looking about I see Katniss. There are no tear makes on her face. Maybe she is too shocked to cry just now. She looks straight ahead like she is trying to block out the nose around her. Standing buy the train the camera take what seems like endless photos of us then we are getting on the train and the doors are closing. Shutting out the noise from the world that was out home. A Capitol sever takes me to my room. The speed of the train is fantastic, but I don't care all I think about is how it makes the games seem even closer than they already are.

Sitting on the bed I take a good look about me. Even though everything is luxurious, it can't take my mind away from the real reason we are here. How The Capitol makes twenty four kids fight to the death until one is left. The one who will be crowned victor and who's district will be showered with gifts for a year. The Capitol who make everyone act like they are enjoying the games and make everyone celebrate the victor and treat them like a king. The Capitol. The reason I am here right now.

I decide to go and clean up before the dark thoughts in my head start to come out and show on my face. I know that they must be watching us. The shower is warm and soothing, it helps clear my head and concentrate on getting Haymitch to do what I want. It won't be easy, this I know to even get him sober enough so he will listen to me in the first place.I dress in whatever I find not really caring what I look like. I know it won't matter for long. Sitting on my bed looking out the window, I think about home and everything that I will miss. How my family is doing, how they are dealing with the aftermath of the reaping. I wonder if they are just going on with the day and will let themselves feel tonight when the bakery is shut. I cross to the door and out my head out, as I do I see Haymitch walking – or more like stumbling- down the corridor as he passes he mutters something about taking a nap. I wait until he has passed until I close the door and sit back down on my bed closing my eyes.

In what feels like no time at all there's a knock at my door and Effi is telling me it's time for supper. As I head out the door, I get an idea of how they can watch us die and suffer in the arena. How Effi can do her job and still sound upbeat about it, knowing we will die. She can do it because she has grown up watching it, enjoying the games. She likes it. All she wants is to be promoted to another district, one where they have winners.

As we enter the dining car, the first thing that registers in my head is the smell. There is a faint smell of something that I can't put my finger on but whatever it is, it's good. Taking a seat at the table, Effi goes back out the room leaving me alone. In a moment however she had returned with Katniss. It's the first time that I have seen her since we got on the train, and the reaping. I get the chance to look at her as she sits down. She has the look of someone who is trying to act strong but also trying not to cry.

Before I can say anything Effi askes "Where's Haymitch?" I tell her that when I saw him last he said he was going to have a nap. Effi starts to talk about nothing in particular, about the stress of the day, about how we have table manners. At this I see Katniss stiffen, she looks up at Effi in disgust but she doesn't see. Katniss then eats the remainder of the meal with her hands, while Effi looks on in disgust. I hold back a laugh at Effi face, trying not to look at anyone. Katniss is just playing in to Effi's hands by doing this. She has an amazing effect on people this way by doing something so bad that you can't help but look at her because of it. Effi just tries to ignore her.

When the meal ends I start to feel ill, the food was just too rich for my stomach to handle right now. I look at Katniss, trying to see if she is feeling the same, judging by how often she is swallowing and that she looks a bit green she is. I tell myself to keep it down, that I must keep it down. Effi then takes us to another room to re-watch the reaping's. Not many stand out, the boy and girl from 2 and girl form 1, and a girl from 11 – I look at Katniss- she looks shocked. I know why it gets to her, it's because she looks like Prim. Her little sister. Then there is our reaping. We see again how Katniss took Prim's place, my name being called. Effi is only concerned about what her hair looked like and how Haymitch was. Nothing about all the kids that were chosen to die.

Just as Effi is complaining about Haymitch he appears in the doorway. Drunk. He starts to say something about missing dinner, when he vomits and falls face first into it. Effi get annoyed at us laughing and tells us that Haymitch is everything we need when we get into the arena, she flees the room telling us to laugh because we know that she is telling us the truth, that Haymitch is all we have left and we will need his help to survive.


	4. Chapter 4

The Hunger Games – From Peeta Mellark's point of view.

Chapter 4

**Thank you to all who read a reviewed it means so much to me. Also I don't own any of the characters, words or the story. All credit goes to the respected owners**

We stand there, taking the scene before us in. Of Haymitch, sprawled in the vile contents of his stomach. Looking at Katniss, I see that she is thinking along the same lines as me. That though we may distrust and hate Haymitch, he is the only thing that we have to protect us. I start to bend towards one of his arms and see out of the corner of my eye that Katniss is doing the same. Getting a hold of him we pull him up right. Haymitch is talking but I am trying not to breath in the smell that spills of him in waves. I tell him we are taking him back to his room, to clean him up. When we get to his rooms, we put him in the bath and turn the shower on him. He doesn't notice. Taking my eyes of Haymitch for a second I turn and look at Katniss's face, seeing that she looks like she might be sick.

"It's ok, I'll take it from here." I tell her. She gives me a hard look but I see the look of gratefulness that spreads over her face at my words. She says that she will ask one of the attendants to help but I tell her I don't want it. She nods and heads back to what I assume are her rooms.

Turning back to look at Haymitch I take a towel from the pile in the corner and start to clean his face. When I am done I take of his jacket, shirt, under shirt pants. I leave his underwear on cause it's one thing about Haymitch that I don't want to be seeing. I start to tell him my plan, not really knowing if he can hear me. I tell him about how I love Katniss and how I will do anything to protect her in the arena. I tell him everything I know about her. Everything that I have seen and found out and how I have felt about her since I was small. I don't care if he can hear me but it feels good to tell someone about this. Someone who I know can help me.

When he is all clean, I dress him in some pyjamas that I found in one of the drawers in his room. Hauling him to his feet I drag him across the room and dump him on the bed. Taking his feet I pull them onto the bed. Taking a blanket I found in another drawer I put it over him and turn to leave. Just when I get to the door I hear him say in a drowsy voice, "I'll help you kid. I'll help you keep her safe." Turning away I walk out the door and close it softly. Heading down the train which has a soothing rocking motion to it. opening my door I go and sit on the bed. Laying down I tuck my hands behind my head and think about Katniss. Everything that I know about her and how I can possibly help her in the arena what I can do. I come up short in ideas. I can't think of anything.

My dreams that night are about Katniss and the day after I gave her the bread. I am standing in the school corridor. I see her; she looks at me then looks away. Most of my friends are talking to me but I don't listen to them. The bruise around my eye has a dull throb to it. The beating that I took for burning the bread was worth it. I was able to save her life, make sure that she saw today. I don't care that I had to take the beating. The pain was worth it. She never came and thanked me but I didn't care. I was just glad that she was alive and well. I watched her when we were let out of school. She collected her little sister, and then she suddenly looked down. I looked to saw that she was looking at a dandelion. She picked at and holding it carefully she ran home holding Primrose's hand tight. I turned away from them and saw my father. He was watching me with a careful face. "I loved her mother. I loved her more than anything but she wanted the coal miner. I couldn't compete with him. He sang and the birds fell silent." This I know he told me the first day of school but I didn't take much notice of him. Now though I hear the note of sadness when he talks. He really meant it, he really loved her mother. The thought makes me sad, that he couldn't get the girl that he wanted. I vowed then that I would get her and make my father proud that one of us got the one we wanted. I didn't tell him though just nodded and walked towards that gate and to home.

Waking I feel that I have been asleep for a while but not long. I am in the same position that I feel asleep in. I get up as I need to clear my head of the feelings that are over running it. Thinking of my father makes me sad because I know that I will never see him again. Opening the door I stick my head out and take a look around. The corridor is empty, not even a shadow of the Capitol attendants that are supposed to look after us. I step out into the corridor letting the door shut until it hits my fingertips, I then let the door close slowly so that not a sound is made when it finally closes. Walking down the train – past Haymitch's door- I come across the room at the end of the train. It's like a balcony on the end. The room is filled with chairs and low tables. The bottom end is taken up with a glass door, which when slide open lets you on to a viewing platform of sorts. Resting my hands on the railing I let the wind wash over me. Taking my thoughts and feelings, letting them be taken by the wind and be carried away from me. I stand there for what seems like forever. It's just me, the wind and the moonlight that comes in and out from behind the clouds that fill parts of the sky. I don't hear him until he is standing next to me looking at the track which seems to be sliding out from underneath us.

"You really want to save her? You love her that much you would do that" He asks no trace of malice in his voice when he says it.

"Yeah I do" I reply tersely .

"I'll help you kid but you have to do everything I tell you. You can't disobey me at all."

"Fine" I say turning around and walking back down the room to the door. Haymitch calls after me but I ignore him not wanting to hear anything else he has to say.

When I wake the next morning I am filled with a sudden fear that I dreamed my encounter with Haymitch last night. But I know I didn't, somehow I know that it was real and that he will help me.

Getting up I take and shower and try and figure out what today will bring. Today we reach the Capitol and we will meet our stylists. Although the hunger games are not a fashion show those better looking tributes are the ones that pull in the most sponsors. I try to look at least a little presentable. I head towards the dining car as hunger has overcome me. There is no one in the room when I enter, but when I sit down a plate of stew is put in front of me along with a heap of other food. I eat my way through most of it being careful not to make myself sick. Finally I take the cup of brown liquid that is letting of a thin line of steam. Looking at it I turn to the capitol person and ask what it is.

"Hot Chocolate." He pauses as if testing himself "Try dipping some bread in it. It tastes good that way" then he goes back to standing looking straight ahead of him.

Not wanting to look rude I take his advice. He turns out to be right about the bread. Dipping it the drink does taste good. Haymitch comes in just after I have started doing this. He nods at me and starts eating. I get the feeling he is waiting for me to say something but I stay silent getting more embarrassed by the minute. Effi comes in then and picks up a cup of coffee from the table. She mutters things about how bad mannered Haymitch is thinking that he can't hear her. Going by his smirk, he can. I look down trying not to laugh and when I look up Katniss is here. She sits down and starts to eat as much as she can. When she is done she looks at the drink in front of her. I feel obliged to tell her what it is but leave out the part that the Capitol attendant told me. I don't want to get him into trouble by repeating it. She gives me a hard look, before taking a small sip of the drink. Haymitch ignores us throughout the meal, just keeps thinning his drink with something that smells real bad. I can see Katniss getting more and more annoyed about this. Finally she snaps.

"You going to give us some advice"

Haymitch looks up at us drunk from the juice and other thing "Stay alive" he says laughing. Katniss looks at me and then looks away again. I am angry at him, angry that after last night he still doesn't seem to care.

"Real funny" I tell him "Just not to us" I say as I hit the glass in his hand sending to crashing to the floor. Haymitch gives me a hard look then punches me hard on the jaw. I fall of my chair and hit the floor. Hard. I don't see what happens next but when I pick myself up from the floor I see a knife jutting between his fingers and Katniss standing there with a murderous face on.

"Did I really get some fighters this year" Haymitch ask leaning back in his chair. I start to pick up some of the ice from under the fruit bowl but am stopped by Haymitch.

"Don't" he says "let it show, make it look like you were in a fight"

"That's against the rules" I say.

"It will say you didn't get caught but you still fought" Haymitch says before turning to Katniss

"Can you hit anything else with that knife" He asks. In answer she picks up the knife and hurls it at the wall. It sticks right between the seam of the panels on the wall. Haymitch orders us to stand in the centre of the room. There he proceeds to walk around us prodding us and looking at our faces and body's.

"You're not too bad. Even better when you get to the stylists"  
>We say nothing knowing that better looking tributes get more favour and more sponsors when the games start.<p>

"Do not resit them. You must do everything that they say, even if you don't like it. "

"But.." Katniss begins

"No buts" Haymitch growls then picks up his bottle and stalks out the room muttering under his breath,

The room suddenly goes dark and I think that we must be going through the mountains that surround the Capitol. I don't mind the dark or the fact that we are in a tunnel but looking at Katniss in the semi darkness I see that she is struggling not to scream. Her father I think. I know that he was blown up in a mining accident and I think of how that must have affected her. The train is slowing and suddenly we are flooded with light. I rush to the window and Katniss does the same, and there is the Capitol.

The Capitol, the place that we have only seen on TV. At first I think that my eyes are playing tricks on me. Everything seems to be different colours, then I realise that no my eyes aren't playing tricks that everything is in a different colour. From the buildings, to the street, to the cloths that the people are wearing and even to the people themselves. Green, blue, pink those are just a few of the colours that people had dyed themselves. They start to wave as they recognise the train coming into the city. I start to wave back when I realise that I am being watched. Katniss is looking at the people and window with a look of disgust on her face.

"One may be rich" is all I say to her and turn back to the window. I don't stop till the window is blocked by the train station. I know what Katniss is thinking – that is am trying to kill her and everyone else in that arena - and all I want is to prove her wrong.


	5. Chapter 5

The Hunger Games – From Peeta Mellark's point of view.

Chapter 5

I stand looking out a window at the Capitol. Vibrant. That's the only word I can think to describe it. Colour bounces off the shiny surfaces of the tall skyscrapers. I've never seen anything like it in my life. A soft knock at the door makes me turn around, a women's head is peering round the door looking so afraid, you would think I was going to rip her head off or something. I smile at her and this encourages her to open the door revealing two other people. I wonder who they must be, and then it clicks. This is my prep team.

"Hi, I'm Peeta" I tell them as they walk in, not knowing if they know that. The lady is flanked my two guys on I think will rip me apart he is that big and the other is stick thin and the lady gives a small nod of her head.

"Yes we know." she says in her stupid Capitol accent. "I'm Vita, this is Janus" She says pointing to the blond mountain on her right. He has orange eyes brows and what seem to be golden eyes, but I think it must just be the light in the room.

"And this is Caius" she says pointing to the other man. He is as slim as Janus is big. He is stick thin but not as malnourished as some of the people back home who are dying. I wonder how he is this thin when he has always had enough to eat. But that's not was the most odd thing about him. His hair is flaming red. So red it looks like it is on fire and there seems to be some sort of glowing about his skin. When he moves it throws light about the room. I peer at him and it looks like he has had thousands upon thousands of tiny jewels implanted into his skin.

I think that Vita is the only normal one but when she turns around to speak to the Capitol attendant, I see that there are diamonds going up her spine. At every point the bones on her spine have met; a huge, glittering diamond has been imbedded into her skin.

"So Peeta how are you finding the Capitol so far?" Vita asks. Before I have time to answer her I find myself being lifted up and laid down on a table. Vita, Janus and Caius stand over me blocking part of the light from the lamp above my head.

After a few minutes of staring at me they get to work.

First they clean the stubble that is beginning to form on my face. Even though I shaved on the train it still comes back after only a day. Then they make me have a bath in something that smells just as bad as it feels. It takes of some of my skin and all the dirt and dust from home. Leaving me bare and pink from the horrible stuff.

"Now Peeta this will be cold but don't move ok?" Caius tells me. I see a needle coming towards my face and tell myself to be still. I feel it pierce the skin around my cheek and chin and then a horrible cold.. My face scrunches up on instinct because of the cold but Vita grabs my chin reminding me

"Not to move". After that I try not to move at all. Hardly speaking to them as they work their way around my body. Making everything clean and tidy. After what feels like an hour Caius tells me I can move. The cold has finally vanished from my face and now feels num. I can speak though I am pleased to discover.

"What now" I ask them as I see them heading towards the door.

"Don't worry we are just going to get Portia" Vita tells me as she closes the door behind her.

Sitting up I realise that most of the day has gone and it is now twilight. The low sun casts a soft glow on the city making it seem like it is breathing as it glitters of the building. Casting rainbows into the darkening sky. My prep team has done my make up just taking the shadows from my eyes and enhancing them a bit. I hear the door open but decide to stay looking out the window watching the light being bounced across the rooftops in arcs.

"It's lovely" says a quiet voice beside me.

Without turning I answer "Yeah."

Nothing for a long moment, then I turn and take a look at my stylist for the games.

"Haymitch told me" she says "both me and Cinna. About what you want to do. We will help both of you but it's you who has to do the hard part" she says looking at me.

I am too stunned to speak. Haymitch told them and they want to help. I feel a rush of gratitude towards Haymitch then for all that he has done and towards the stylists for helping as well.

I get a chocked "Thank you" out and look down at my feet, embarrassed by her saying that she would help me.

She looks at me then shakes her head a little as if trying to clear it, then smiles.

"So for the opening ceremony as you know you have to wear something that reflects you district." I nod showing I understand.

"So me and Cinna where thinking the whole coal miner is overdone we think so we were looking at what people do with coal. Burn it. I really hope you don't have a problem with fire" she says laughing a little at my face.

My thoughts are doing somersaults about being burned alive but then I remember Haymitch saying that we have to do what they tell us. I put a small smile on my face and say

"Course not. What are we doing?"

Portia smiles at my enthusiasm. "Something no one has done before" She says as she gestures for me to follow her. As she leads me out the room I catch a glimpse out the window at one last ray of light being thrown into the air. A high arc of the flaming light, casting on last light over the sky as darkness falls.

I am going to be burned alive.

That's the only thought that crosses me mind as the lift takes us down to the bottom floor, where we will start the parade.

The lift stops and Portia and I step out into what really can only be called a stable. All the horses and chariots are kept here. I look around trying to take in everything around me.

The room is buzzing. There are the other tributes, their stylists, horses, chariots and mentors. Then there is Katniss and her stylist Cinna.

When she sees me a look of relief passes over her face. I know what she is thinking; thank god I am wearing the same thing as her. Portia takes hold of my arm and steers me towards Katniss and Cinna. With their help we are directed onto the chariots.

While Portia and Cinna are talking in hushed voices away from us, I look over at Katniss. I smile at her which seems to make her come to the fact that yes we really are here and that we are going to be set on fire.

"What do you think? About the fire?" she asks me.

"I rip of yours if you'll rip of mine" I say. My jaw is clenched tight so the words come out sort of strangled. I am terrified about this. My thoughts are somewhere between thinking it is cool and that I will be burned alive.

We both know that even if we do get burned that we will be put into the arena no matter what, that the gamemakers don't care if we are hurt before we go in. they will think it adds more value and entertainment to the games if we are hurt.

"I know we were told to do what they said but I really don't think that Haymitch thought of this" There is real worry in her voice. She is a scared about is as me.

"Where is he? He's meant to protect us from this sort of thing." I am angry about this. The very fact that Haymitch is putting us in this situation in the first place without even bothering to find out how we feel about it.

"It's probably not wise to have him near an open flame because of all the alcohol in him" Katniss says and with that we both start laughing. It's nice to hear he laugh even if it's only brought on by the nerves because of what's about to happen. Just like that I am thinking of what could have been between me and Katniss if we hadn't been picked and if the hunger games didn't happen. That we might have had a nice life together instead of facing the fact that we will have to kill each other.

The opening music starts to play and the chariots start to roll out into the street. Everyone looks good and the crowd is going crazy as the tributes appear. All too soon though it's time for us to be set alight. Cinna is there and before me or Katniss has time to protest he sets our capes and head pieces alight. I brace myself for pain but there is none. Relief passes through me. Thank you. I think glad that I won't be a human torch and be burned here, right now.

Cinna is shouting something but neither me nor Katniss can quite hear him. He makes a gesture and I know what he means. I grab Katniss's hand and hold it tight. She looks confused until I tell her that's what Cinna wanted us to do. She takes that and holds tightly back as we roll out onto the street.

I do not care for the costumes or the people of the capitol who are cheering our names and throwing flowers at us. All I can think about is Katniss. The flames transformed her. From something pretty to something that is beyond beautiful. They highlighted her eyes and made them seem like they were shinning and her whole face was given a quality that made it look fuller and smoother. When she blinked the flames made it seem like she was throwing little bits of light from them making it look like she had fire inside her. It took all the worry from her face and made her seem relaxed and happy despite where we are. They made her the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, and this only reinforces the idea that I have to save her. She has to go home to her family.

I come back into focus when I feel the pressure on my hand slackens.

"Don't let go" I say looking at her "Please I think I might fall out"

That's true but also I want to feel her hand on mine, feel the closeness of her to me.

"Ok" she says and keeps holding on to me.

As the president is talking I see that the camera people are focusing more on us than anyone else. Our costumes are bring everybody attention to us as the light makes it impossible to look away. Cinna and Portia have done us a huge favour they have made us unforgettable by dressing us this way. By acting the way I have, letting Katniss take all the crowds attention I hope that they will remember her more than me and that they will help her once we are in the arena.

We are taken round the inner city once more as we head to the training centre. I see that the camera people do make sort of an effort to show all the other tributes but they are fixated on us and our costumes. The door has just closed behind us when they are all there. The prep teams, Cinna and Portia. After a quick glance around I see that we are getting daggers of the others because we looked so much better than they did. I watch Portia as she takes the flaming capes and puts them out with something from a can. Cinna pats me on the back and says well done. All this time me and Katniss are still glued together, I make no move to let go of her hand, feeling the warmth that comes from her is one of the best things ever. It's her who lets go first.

"Thanks. For not letting go. I was getting a bit shaky there" I tell her with a hint of a smile

"It didn't show really" Katniss tells me smiling back.

"No one was looking at me they were just looking at you. Flames suit you. You should wear them more often." I tell her. I smile at her with some degree of shyness as being this close to her is just making my heart beat about three times faster than normal. I am giddy just being in her presence. I try to keep a hold of it so that she can't see what I am feeling.

Katniss has a look of shock on her face and is trying to puzzle out the motive between me smile and the emotion behind it. I can guess what she is thinking. Don't trust me because I will kill her. That I am dangerous to her. That I am luring her to me to make it easier for me to kill her.

Then she stands up on her tiptoes and kisses me. Right over the bruise that Haymitch gave me. But I don't care because I am happy that she kissed me and it's the only thing that registered in my mind. Nothing else matters right now.


	6. Chapter 6

The Hunger Games – From Peeta Mellark's point of view.

Chapter 6

**Sorry that it took so long for me to update everything. I really am sorry. I hope that you enjoy this chapter and the next one should be up soon.**

**Disclaimer I own nothing all characters and story go to the respective owners. **

The ground grew smaller and smaller the higher that we rose in the elevator. I couldn't stop myself from looking about in glee as we rose, looking at the Capitol that stretched into the distance on every side, throwing specks of light though the sky. My costume shines because of the fabric that they used to make it. Portia looks at me, watching me looking out the window in wonder,

"Its beautiful is it not?" she asks

"Yeah" I say with all the wonder I am feeling leaking into my voice.

"Peeta I just wanted to say that…" She begins but the doors are opening and Haymitch is there, well not in front of us but we can both easily hear his voice from another room down the hall.

"I don't care what she said just do it" he hollers

"Effie told him and all the servers that he wasn't allowed to drink while you were in the Capitol" Portia whisper's to me "He has been shouting about it since we got here and trying to get them to bring him a drink"

"Can't they just do it?" I ask

"No but you might want to consider asking them if they could otherwise he will be a complete disaster for the whole games, if he had something to drink he might want to help you more than if he didn't" Portia says back with a small smile, playing across her face.

"Come let me show you to your room"

That day with the bread keeps replaying over and over inside my head. I think about the look of hope on her face when she got it and how it made me feel. I try to think about what I could do in the arena and the interview that could help Katniss more, gain her more sponsor's to help her through the games. I try and think of everything that I could do to try and make sure that she wins. My mind comes to only one conclusion but I refuse to let the plan fully form until I have talked to the Haymitch and the stylists about it in case it's the wrong thing to do.

I hear a commotion in the corridor outside and know that Effie and Katniss must be here now and that if I want to talk to them all then this is my only chance to do so. Sighing I step out the shower and find something to wear. A dark blue top and black trousers. Something that doesn't stand out that much.

I open the door carefully looking up and down the corridor to see if anyone is there. A low murmur of voices float down from the end of the hall that leads to the sitting room, so I head on that direction. On my way I pass a read haired girl dressed in white,

"Hey do you work here?" I ask her. I don't get a reply but she nods her head once fast and looks at the floor.

"Could you please get Haymitch a drink I think that it would do him a lot of good if he was to have one" She looks alarmed at the thought of disobeying an order, I smile showing that I mean her no harm and that I am not going to force her to do anything that she doesn't want to do

"Just think about it ok" I say softly with a smile and carry on towards that voices that I heard.

I step out onto the balcony, looking in wonder at the city. Portia, Cinna, Haymitch and Effie are all there talking about the opening ceremonies and how we were a huge hit in them.

"Ah Peeta. What do you want?" Haymitch barks when he notices me,

"Want to talk to you" I say coldly back to him, not letting my feelings show in my voice.

"Oh ok then talk away" Haymitch says turning back towards the skyline.

"Go get a drink Haymitch" I snap at him in exasperation

"Can't" Haymitch says laughing at the look on my face.

"Go try" I sap again

Haymitch gives me a long hard look and slouched off in the general direction of the dining room and I guess his own room.

"What is it Peeta?" Effie says in her silly high pitched voice, that I am getting used to fast.

"I want to talk about…well what I want is to…I want to talk about Katniss" I finally get out of after, several minutes of trying to get the words out.

"Well I would say its about time you talked to us about her" Says Effie looking at her watch.

"Wait. You know what I am going to do. I though only Haymitch and Portia and Cinna knew"  
>"Well of course I knew how could I not, Haymitch told me about what you said. And I thought that it was so brave so courageous t that you are willing to do anything for her, that I had to get involved and help you."<p>

Am I lost for word's, stand there is shock for what seems like forever before I manage to stutter out a thank you.

"Not at all Peeta, it seems that we have all taken a liking to that young lady and the more help people want to give her, even if that means that you don't get any but if you are willing to do that then we can try our best to get her home to her family for you" Cinna says in is even voice that lacks the silly high pitched Capitol accent that everyone else has.

Looking into his eyes I know that he is telling the truth and that everything he says he means, from the bottom of his heart.

"I am willing, I will do anything to make sure she lives and goes home" I tell him looking straight into his eyes when saying it.

Cinna just nods his head and looks back over the city, still glowing faintly in the dying sunlight.

"Go to the roof" he says in undertone "Talk to here there no one will here you there. Go through the door at the end of the hall, it will take you up there," He says, then goes back to looking at the city like he never said anything.

Effie bustles out saying that she is going to get Katniss foe dinner and that we should start thinking about sitting round the table. I see Katniss relax somewhat when she sees that Cinna and Portia are going to be here as well as I know that she doesn't get along with Haymitch by himself. I try smiling at her a little to show her that I am on her side but she doesn't see or ignores me if she did.

I tune out most of what they are talking about, its mostly about how we presented ourselves at the opening ceremony and what we are going to do at the interviews. It's not until about half way through the meal that I really come back into focus. A young girl has just put a cake on the table, Katniss gasps and I can see why, the cake is on fire. She voices the thought that was going through my head as well.  
>"What makes it burn? Is it alcohol?, Oh" Katniss exclaimed when she =looked up at the girls face.<p>

I see the panic that passes through Cinna and Haymitch's face at this point, that Katniss might ruin all the support that she is building from the public if they find out that she knows this girl.

"How could you know her Katniss" Says Effie sharply to her "She's an Avox"  
>"A what?" Katniss asks with a blank look<p>

"She had her tongue cut out so she can't talk. She did something to upset the Capitol so they stopped her from talking" Haymitch explains quietly to her while the girl stands there looking at the floor trying to ignore what they are saying.

"Yeah" I say wildly "She looks like Delly. You know Delly Cartwright. From back home" I see Katniss stare at me for a second when I say this but then I see her look of relief when she thinks through what I said quickly,

"Oh yeah. It's her hair, I thought that it looked the same" Katniss says jumping on the suggestion even though this girl looks nothing like Delly but, it's a lie that might just stop everyone from worrying about it. They could put it down to stress and excitement about the games.

I glance at Haymitch during this conversation, and see that his face shows what I know already that he knows that it was a lie. That he knows what I did to stop everyone from worrying, I shake my head a little to show that it is not open for discussion and he nods in agreement and lets it drop.

After dinner we all go to watch this opening ceremonies being replayed on the TV. I don't really watch none of the others make an impact on me, apart from the ones that did when I saw the reapings being replayed.

Haymitch is the one that brings up the hand holding.

"Who thought of it?" he asks with half a glance at me.

"Cinna's" says Portia saving me from having to answer and from having to have that conversation with Katniss about why I wanted to hold her hand.

"Good, great bit of rebellion there" Haymitch says chuckling.

"Ok so tomorrow is training, come down here and I will tell you what I want you to do, now get out of here while we talk. " Haymitch waving his hand in a dismissive way, telling us we can go.

Getting to Katniss's room I lean against the doorway not stopping her from getting in but making sure that I have her attention, making sure that she listens to me. I see though that she won't talk here,

"Come see the roof" I say "Cinna showed me, come on" I start of down the hall looking back to make sure that she is following me, after a moment of hesitation she does and we head up to the roof. I know that she understood that by going up there no one will hear us and that's why she agreed to come with me otherwise it wouldn't happen she wouldn't have come with me.

Reaching the roof I stop and stare for a moment, though I said that the view was great I never thought that I would be this good. I notice something at the side of the roof, a bird flying then a small, zapping sound from where it tried to cross the into the roof.

"Come see this, I asked if we were allowed up here and Cinna says that we can't fall of because of this" I hold my hand out to where I saw the bird flying and again here the zapping sound and I jerk my hand back. "There is a force field around here stops us from falling to our death"

Katniss laughs "So concerned about us being safe" I see that she still doesn't think that we should be up here that she still thinks that we are being watched.

"Over here, there's a garden with chimes, sort of hard to hear though because they are loud."

When we get there I turn to look at her, waiting for her to start to tell why she knows that girl.

Katniss tells me, she tells me everything about how she and Gale where out hunting and they saw the hover craft and the boy and girl running from it. I listen without interrupting once letting her tell me everything without stopping, About how they did nothing to try and help them.

"Did they see you?" is all I ask when she is done

"I don't know" Katniss says, "we were hiding" I can tell that she is lying though but I don't press her for anymore as I know that she won't tell me anymore now.

I notice that she is shivering and take of my jacket to give it to her. She recoils a little but lets me put it around her.

"They came from the Capitol" I ask as I button it at her neck.

"Yeah." Katniss whispers.

"Why were they running do you think?"

"Don't know, they had everything here why would they leave"

"I would leave" I say loudly but I know now that it was too loud that if someone was watching or listening they would have heard me,

"I would now but they won't let me, also the food is great you can't say it's not" I say forcing a laugh and a smile on to my face to hide what I just said.

I see her surprise that I am able to turn the conversation around so that if anyone did here then they would just think that I was scared about the upcoming games.

"Come on, it's getting cold again, we should go back inside"

Once inside I decide to ask her something else.

"Gale. He was the one that carried your sister away during the reaping"

"Yeah" Katniss says her guard up again "Do you know him?"  
>"Not really, all the girls talk about him though, I just thought that he was you cousin or something, you look a lot like each other"<p>

"No, were not family" Katniss says with a small smile.

I nod not letting my feelings show on my face.

"He come to say goodbye to you"

"Yes, so did your father, he gave me some cookies" She says. She is trying to stay friendly but her tone has turned a little icy because of these questions.

Raising me eyebrows my face still unreadable I say "He likes you and you sister. I think he wishes that he had a daughter not three boys in the house."

We walk in silence down the stairs both lost in thought until we get to her door

"He knew your mother" I say suddenly

"Yeah they both grew up in town." She gives me back my jacket "See you tomorrow then"

"See you" I say, and walk off back towards my room.

I fall in to an uneasy sleep, trying to think of the best way to tell Haymitch what I plan on doing, to try and help Katniss win the games.


End file.
